World Bank Notes
World Bank Notes
A PRESENTATION BY:
OM AGARWAL
ROLL NO: 09
4TH YEAR B.A. LL.B
FIRST SESSION
Introduction
Purpose
Structure
History
The Bank purpose is to bridge the economic divide between poor and rich countries. It does this
by turning rich country resources into poor country growth. It has a long-term vision to ‘achieve
sustainable poverty reduction’.
The Bank focuses on six areas:
• Provide a customized solution to help middle-class income countries remain out of poverty
• Spur governments to prevent climate change. It helps control diseases such as HIV, and
Malaria.
• Work with the Arab League on three goals; to improve education, build infrastructure, and
provide micro-loans to SMEs.
• Share its expertise with developing countries. Publicize its knowledge via reports and its
interactive online database
International Development
Association
• Was formed on July 1944 following Bretton Woods Conference along with IMF
• After Marshal Plan went into effect in 1947, the Word Bank shifted its focus to non-European
countries.
• From 1974 to 1980 the Bank concentrated on meeting the needs of people in developing
countries.
• Beginning in 1989, in response to harsh criticism from many groups, the bank began including
environmental groups and NGOs in its loans to mitigate the past effects of its development
policies that had prompted the criticism.
Leadership
Membership
Budget
• The President of the Bank is the president of the entire World Bank Group.
• The US Secretary of Treasury sits on the World Bank’s Board of Governors, the Bank’s highest
governing body.
• The vice presidents of the Bank are its principal managers, in charge of regions, sectors,
networks and functions.
• The Boards of Directors consist of the World Bank Group President and 25 Executive Directors.
• On 23 March 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the United States would
nominate Jim Yong Kim as the next president of the Bank. He served two terms till 2017.
• The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has 189
member countries, while the International Development Association (IDA) has 173
members.
• The World Bank or the World Bank Group is also a sitting observer in the United
Nations Development Group.
• Contribution from Donor Members who meet every three years to replenish its
funds
Shareholders
Criticism
• Joseph Stiglitz, former Chief Economist of the Bank, argued that the so-called free
market reform policies that the Bank advocates are often harmful to economic
development if implemented badly, too quickly in the wrong sequence or in weak,
uncompetitive economies.
• Too much focus on privatization and increase in GDP that not necessarily result to
growth in better living standards.